"A decade after winning the first of four titles to start a dynasty, the Golden State Warriors have seemingly been passed by the rest of the Western Conference. According to ESPN BET, the Warriors have just the seventh-best odds to win the West this season, behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and LA Clippers."
"That placement makes some sense. Golden State was the No. 7 seed last season, bowed out in five games in the second round and could boast the oldest starting lineup in NBA history this season. If Buddy Hield joins Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Draymond Green and Al Horford in the starting lineup after Hield's birthday on Dec. 17, the Warriors would be the first team to start five players 33 or older in a game, according to ESPN Research."
The Golden State Warriors enter the season seen by some as surpassed by other Western Conference teams, with ESPN BET placing them seventh in odds to win the West. Last season's No. 7 seed exited in five games in the second round, and the projected starting lineup could become the oldest in NBA history if Buddy Hield joins after Dec. 17. Despite those optics, analytics projections from Kevin Pelton forecast 56 wins and rank the Warriors second overall. A full season with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, plus offseason upgrades, positions Golden State as a dangerous, competitive team.
Read at ESPN.com
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